Layton Williams: Who is the Queens for the Night judge and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie star?
‘You need to get your heels on, get your waist snatched and get into it,’ Williams said of the contestants
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Your support makes all the difference.Layton Williams is bringing his musical theatre prowess to ITV for drag extravaganza Queens for the Night.
The one-off special hosted by Lorraine Kelly will see a group of stars, including Mr Motivator, Chris Hughes, Simon Gregson, George Shelley, Adam Woodyatt and Joe Marler unleashing their drag alter-egos as they attempt to go head to head to be crowned the winning Queen.
The contestants will be paired with drag queens and judged by an all-star panel including Courtney Act, Mel C, Rob Beckett, Myra DuBois and Williams.
He may be just 28, but Williams has had a long career on the stage.
When he was 12, he played the role of Billy Elliot in the West End musical, becoming only the second non-white actor to play the role. He starred in Billy Elliot the Musical from May 2007 to November 2008.
He appeared on the ITV show Feelgood Factor alongside two of his fellow Billys, one of whom was future Spider-Man Tom Holland.
He also played young Michael Jackson in Thriller – Live and appeared in Matthew Bourne’s dance production The Car Man and the UK tour of Rent.
However, to many people, he first became known for playing Stephen in Jack Whitehall’s BBC Three sitcom Bad Education.
Williams returned to stage in the title role in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie as Jamie New, a Sheffield teenager who dreams of being a drag queen. He reprised the role on the UK tour and Los Angeles production.
As a judge on Queens for the Night, Williams said he wanted to see the contestants go all-out for the competition.
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“You need to get your heels on, get your waist snatched and get into it,” he said on Lorraine on Friday (4 November).
Speaking about the show in a press release, Williams said: “It’s so fab that we get to celebrate drag and showcase this wonderfully entertaining craft. There’s so much talent within the drag community and the viewers at home will get to see how much hard work goes into the art form.
“I hope the celebrities know what they’ve gotten themselves in for! Don’t be a drag, just be a queen… I’m so thrilled to be a part of this show.”
Queens for the Night airs Saturday 5 November at 8.30pm on ITV.
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